The Washington critic., 1887-06-15
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND AND THE
GRAND ARMY,


General Tuttle and few other
Grand Army men Of like narrow. gauge
pattern have given notice that If the
President puts In an appearance at st.
Louis during the reunion of the Grand
Army there in September he will be
"insulted."
1t Is assumed by these persons that
although the President goes West by
special invitation Of the people of ST.
Louis, and by such an Invitation as was
never before extended To- Chief ES
ecutIve-twenty thousand bt the leIl-
ing citizens of the place, representing
all avocations and all shades Of politics.
joining in the couftesy-his visit will
be, nevertheless, of partisan char.
acter and for a political purpose. The
absurdity Of this assumption Is made
apparent by the utter needlessness of
any pilgrimage Of this sort TO the
Democratic Sta,e Of Missouri, whose
electoral vote Is already as good as
pledged to Mr.. Cleveland If he is
candidate for denomination.
Were the party managers of Chicago,
Detroit, Cincinnati or Boston to get up
q similar demonstration in the Presi-
dents honor there would be some color
of reason in the imputatiOn that poll-
tics was at the bottom of 1t.
Not so In the case of st. Louis. Here,
If any boom at all Is contemplated, 1t is
in the interest OF the fall trade of the
merchants of st. Louis, and not In the
interest of Mr.. Cleveland's candidacy
for second term.
1t is further charged, and as the prin-
cipal reason why the Grand Army at
st. Louis will "insult' the President,
that he vetoed the Dependent Pension
bill, and. as one of the Iowa Army
Posts expresses 1t, thereby stigmatizei
himself as Soldier. hating" Presi.
dent. All through this part of very
ridiculous performance the trail Of the
partisan and pension agent is plainly
discernible, and all trace of the patriot
lacking.
Not only have many Of the most dis
tinguished officers of the late war ac-
corded to Mr.. Cleveland In his veto of
the pension bill the credit of an honest,
brave and conscientious discharge of
duty, but many army posts have com
mended his action as reasonable and
just.
The very fact that the National Pen
rtn
are now engaged in the preparation OF
Dependent Pension bill for prGsenta.
tion to the next Congress, which they
intend shall hold water aud secure the
Presidents approval, is the best evi
dence In the world that the bill passed
by the last Congress was not free OF
the objections which Mr.. Cleveland
urged against 1t and considered ampl,
justification for his veto
Thus is the extraordinary spectacle
presented of one section of the GRAND
Army dcnouncing the President and
threatening him with "insult" fol
vetoing a measure which he though
detrimental to the public interests
Wnlle uuOlueT btCllOn OI lut SAINT army
is admitting the justice and tenability
of the Presidents position on this sub
ject by formulating kindred bill tina
If passed by Congress he will see hi
way clear to approve.
Should such q measure ever reacl
Mr.. Cleveland, he will doubtless con
slider 1t without bias, resentment o.
prejudice. Still, It Is not impertinen
to suggest that the course pursued b,
certain members of the Grand Arm,
at st. Louis is not, in the nature o
things, well calculated to win tn
Presidents confidence, to conciliat
his friendship or incline him to go ia
out of the way to accommodate hi
slanderers.
If the Grand Army has any favor
to ask of him during the Fiftieth Con
gress, self interest as well as self-re
spect should prompt It to treat tn
Commander in Chief of the Army an
Navy with the courtesy due that eS
alted position.